English language proficiency

All applicants to UVic (regardless of country of origin or citizenship status) are required to demonstrate competence in the English language prior to admission.

You are not required to provide proof of language proficiency if you have studied full time for at least four years within Canada at the high school and/or post-secondary level, and all of your instruction has been in English.

Providing proof of language proficiency

Language proficiency can be demonstrated in any of the following ways.

Available for applicants to the faculties of Engineering, Fine Arts (Art History and Visual Studies only), Humanities, Science and Social Sciences.

If you're offered conditional admission, you'll be permitted to register for degree courses during the usual registration time period, but must satisfy the English language proficiency requirement by the date specified in your offer email.

You can qualify for conditional admission if you do one of the following:

provide a CAEL score of 60 with no section less than 50

provide an IELTS score of 6.0 with no component less than 5.5

provide a TOEFL score of at least 79 on the iBT (Internet-based test) with at least 17 on each section, or 550 on the PBT (paper-based test)

Available for applicants to the faculties of Humanities, Science and Social Sciences.

ELC preliminary admission will give you up to 24 months to satisfy the English language proficiency requirement and then begin degree studies without re-applying. You can qualify by registering in the Intensive English Program (ELPI) at UVic's English Language Centre (ELC). Offers will only be made to applicants who have submitted final official transcripts.

If you have a general question about the application process or studying at UVic, get in touch with your UVic recruiter.

If you have a specific question about your application to UVic, call or send an email to your assigned admission assistant. Their contact information was provided to you in an introductory email shortly after you submitted your application, but you can also find them in the Undergraduate Admissions directory.